Top roll weight testers



July 18, 1961 R. K. BUTLER 2,992,555

TOP RoLL wEIGHT TEsTERs Filed June 24, 1959.

I 11h? zy W fll'ltfiC1 States Patent 2,992,555 TOP iROLL WEIGHT TESTERS `Richard Butler, Whitman, Mass., assignor,-by mesne assignments, to Machinecraft, Inc., Whtnian,

a Corporation of Massachusetts j w j Filed June 24, 1959,`Ser. No. 822,537

S Claims. (Cl. 73-441) Mass.,

ipair, and thusistretch the strand torattenuate it andrlay its fibers in parallelirelationrto each other.

` For many purposesrthe `-lmost `valuable characteristic of the yarn made from a given type of fiber is its uniform strengththroughout its length, and this requires a constant number of fibers to be present inrits cross-section at all points in its length. To 44attain this uniform or 1evel`relation, the drawing rollsrmust keep -atfirm grip onrthe fibers passing vbetween them, so'thatthey will'be `paid out by the slower-turning pairs of rolls at a uniform rate, 'and drawn forwardwbythe next pair of`rolls at a uniform but faster rate, without any `slipping of the fibers -inthegrip of the rolls, which wouldrlet'the fibers advance orrlag unevenly.

Hence the opposed rolls of each pair are forced together by weighting means applied to each top roll, which `in a spinning frame is short and has two bosses each -of aprons on the rolls and otherwise, the increased diameter or volume'of the crude strand or roving fed to the drawing rolls has required greatly increased weighting, to keep thefibers from slipping at the nips of the pairs of rolls.

iWhile the proper weighting to prevent slip is indicated within broad limits by the machine builder in the instructions supplied with the spinning frame and to be followed in working on the different fibers and yarns, there has been no adequate means whereby the mills using the spinning frames can tell accurately the amount of pressure actually being |applied to a given top roll, so as to set up thedesired pressure uniformly at all the 360 or So`` top rolls in the frame, or can after changed weighting i revert accurately at a later date to a weighting found .proper in a given case.

`Even when the rolls are loaded by "dead (pendent) weights the actual weighting delivered to the individual rolls is unpredictable owing to friction and dimensional variations in manufacture and set-up of the systems of leverage used. In the case of spring weighting as now widely used the problem is much 'more acute, for lack of any visual indication of the force being applied.

The only means of determining the weighting yactually delivered to the top rolls commonly used in practice, to my `knowledge, has been to hook a spring-balance under the neck of each roll in succession, pull upward on the spring-balance, and note the force in pounds required to liftrboth bosses of the top roll clear of the bottom roll. Withroll weightings exceeding 100 lbs. per roll required fin-many cases nowadays, a jack or other hoist forithe spr'ingibalance is of course required, commonly a bipod dificulties ncident to this slow and awkward method are j, 2992555 rened July 1a .1.961

ICC

`complicated by laekof'any convem'ent placeitofisetup ``loaded-by the weighting device just as was the top roll equipped with a` gageindicating visually the amountof deflection `of the testrollisishaft 'by such load, and calibrated to read inapounds `or other informativc units.

The device is:1ightand-compact,iof pocket size so that the spinner can if desired carry it with himl at all :times with both hands free. It has no loose, jointed,Tor--'dangling' parts,-and requires no auxiliary supports to hold it in working` position, vbeing held in place, just as 'is `t'he'top rollit replaces, byi-theibottom `drawing roll and the'saddle which applies the weight, and the cap bars `if such are used in the spinning frame.

It is adapted to be ;putiinto-use without stoppingthe spinning frame, and indeed to continue ther-drawing of the two strands being drawn by the top rolltitrreplaces,

if-desired, with no more interruption of'productionfhere than that caused by the routine removal of a top roll-to clear lap-ups or for other Cleaning, and with no morephysical effort involved.

It can be made to measure with a single'instrument-'a range `of weightingfrom a minimum of 5 lbs. or` less-up `to lbs. or more, or 'a given tester may Y be made'to cover a lesser range starting at any` desiredr-figure, for greater ease in reading and greater accuracy, merelyr'by choice of a shaft of proper stifness.

Other objects of the invention, and the manner'oftheir attainment, are as made plain hereinafter.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is `shown in the accompanying drawings, -in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the device in'use.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one hub forfthe rollers.

FIGS. 4 and 5 areperspective views of the'extension pieces.

FIG. 6 shows the hub of FIG. -3 and the extension piece of PIG. 5 in place on the left-hand 'end of the tester shaft.

The novel roll weight tester has as its weight-responsive element a shaft 1 of steel `or other material of high elastic limit, which is supported by two rollers"3 each comprising a sleeve or shell i5 in which are press-fitted two ball bearings 7 whose inner race'e are Lsli'dably mounted on a hub'9`fitting closely on `shaft 1. hub forms a part of a block 11 of L-shape boi-ed at 10` coaxially with the hub 9 to fit over the shaft, and' fixed'thereon by screw 13 bearingeagainst the flatted'un'derside of shaft 1 to position the roller 3 where desired in` the length of shaft 1. A shoulder 15 between thepart 11` and the hub 9 engages the side of'the nearer bearing 7 'and holds the roller 3 clear of part 11. The roller is'held from movement inwardly along the hub 9 and shaft`by`=a-C- clip 17 sprung into a groove 19 around the endfof `=hub 9.

Each roller 3 is equipped witha thick resilient tread or cot 21 of the same rubber or othercornposition materialused in making the *cots of toprolls. The outer surface of shell 5 is knurled and cot`2f`11is adhesvelyaffixed i thereto, in usual -top roll manner.

lAt mid-length of shaft llthere is Lfixed,-as by 'pressfitting, a hub 23 corresponding indiameterfandshapeto thelneck of ``the average top roll. This'hubz'performsithe function of the top roll neck of 'receiving -the contactand pressure of the usual saddle employed in spinning frames for'weighting the-top roll. The saddle-indicated-herein v at 25 is of a common type of top arm, so-called, em-

ployed in capbarless spinning frames to yform the sole means o-f positioning and supporting the top roll in work- '-ing position on the bottom roll, in addition to its weighting function. For such purpose, the hub is grooved to leave a shoulder 27 at one end to pre'vent relative axial move- A ment between the hub and the saddle 25 in one direction.

Movement in the other direction is prevented by the attachment thereto of an arm in the form of a strip of st-itf metal 29 provided with an aperture in its end, which Vis press-fitted and fixed on a reduced extension 3-1 of the fhub, the end of extension 31 being thereafter headed over.

When the device is put into place as shown in FIG. 2

i with its two rollers 3 respectively resting on the bosses 33 of bottom roll 35, in substitution for a top roll whose weighting is to be determined, the downward pressure i 'of saddle 25 under the influence of the Weighing means (not shown) causes shaft 1 to bend in the interval between its spaced points of support by the rollers 3, or,

` more strictly, between these points and the ends of hub 23. This depresses the hub 23, and with it the strip 29. The free end 37 of strip 29 is engaged by the end of v the plunger 39 of a -micrometer 'gage 41 of standard or any preferred construction. The plunger 39 is urged downf wardly by a light spring so as to cause it to follo'w the movements of the end 3'7 of the strip 29, the extent of movement thus permitted to or imposed on the plunger being indicated in known manner by needle 43'. The dial of the gage is calibrated to read in pounds or any other desired units, this being done in the first instance by applying weights or pressure of known value to the midlength of hub 23 and graduating the dial accordingly. Thus any degree of loading applied to hub 23 by the saddle 25 or its equivalent in the spinning frame is clearly 'and aecurately shown on 'the dial 45 and read therefrom directly.

Gage 41 is conveniently mounted by a stud 47 fixed I in its casing 49 and received in a hole 'formed therefor contact therewith.

The dial 45 of the gage is iixed in the bezel 61 in known, manner so that by rotating the bezel the zero mark of the dial may be positioned below the needle 43 `in whatever position the latter may stand before the tester is subjected to the load being ascertained. Thus,

any distortion or set of the parts through the hard usage the device will receive in the mills is quickly compensated for.

The end portions 11 serve a double purpose. They are L used in conjunction -with shoulders on the shaft to' fix the spaced relation of the rollers 3 as required by the spacing or gage of the two bosses 33 of the bottom roll,

as well as to center them o'ver the respective strands of yarn (not shown) being drawn, in cases where it is desired to continue the drafting operation while asceri taining the weighting applied. In such case, each roller serves as the corresponding boss of the top roll which the tester momentarily replaces. The diameter of each roller 3 is made the same as the average diameter of the cots of the top rolls in use in the frame, so that the saddle 25 will retain its normal elevation above the bottom roll. Though the tread surface of the roller 3 shown here-in is narrolw, as used in frames where the strands are run with- -'out traverse, the tread width or axial extent of the rollers 3 may be increased as desired to encompass the full path of the strand when traversed, gage 41 of course being calibrated to allow for the increased resistance of shaft 1 to. defleetion.

The otherv function of the parts 11 is to fit into the cap bar slots such as 72, FIG. 6, of a frame in which the top rolls are supported and guided by the journals on their ends. For this purpose, shaft 1 is made of a length to fit the cap bar spacing of the shortest top rolls, for example, 4% inch rolls as used in a 2% inch gage of spinning frame. A filler block 63, FIG. 4, is applied by means of its hole 65 to each protruding end of shaft 1 so as to fill the internal angle of part 11 and give it a rectangular contour such as will rest securely but slidably in the cap bar slots 72. Block 63 is fixed in place in the angle of part 11 by a set screw threaded'into the Vertical bore 67 and bearing against the flatted surface of shaft 1. To adapt the same device to a frame using longer top rolls, as for a frame of 4 inch gage, longer blocks such as 69, FIGS. 5 and 6, are similarly fitted into the angle of parts 11, being likewise fixed on the ends of shaft 1 by means of their bores 7'1 and set screws in the intersecting threaded passages 73. The outward ends of these lengthening blocks 69 are of course received in the slots 72 of the cap bars 74, as before.

The novel roll weighting indicating device is placed under the saddle 25 With its post 511 'in the common plane of the axes of the bottom roll and the shaft 1, as determined by eye alone. A slant of up to 10 in either direction from this relation makes no sgni'ficant error in the indicated weight. With care in observing this simple requirement, the device gives a precise and accurate ndication of the weighting, and especially in the case of spring loading is under the influence of the load alone and cannot be coaxed to misstate the weighting. It also stays securely in place, letting the spinner use both hands in correcting the weighting if such is needed.

In the case of cap bar type frames, the device is held in correct reading position by the cap bar slots 72 which recei've the extension blocks 63 or 69. v

While I have illustrated and described a certain form in which the invention may be emboded, I am aware that many modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not Wish to be limited to the particular form shown, or to the details of construction thereof, but

What I do claim is:

1. A test roll for spinning frames having top rolls and weighting means therefor, comprising in combination spaced rollers, a shaft connecting `such rollers, and a gage mounted on the shaft and iadapted to indicate the amount of deflection of the shaft when this roll is put into the p spinning frame and loaded by the weighting means.

2. A test roll for spinning frames having top rolls, weighting means therefor, and bottom rolls, comprising in combination spaced rollers to engage a bottom roll, a shaft connecting such rollers, and an indicator connected to the shaft at spaced points in the length thereof and responsive to the amount of deflection of 'the shaft in the interval between the rollers when the shaft is Subjected -to loading by the weighting means in such interva-l and deflected thereby.

3. A test -roll for spinning frames having top rolls, weighting means therefor, and bottom rolls, comprising in combination a shaft, spaced rollers thereon for engagement by a bottom roll, and an indicator mounted on the shaft and indicating the deflection of the shaft when the roll is put in lthe place of a top roll and the shaft is subjected to the load of the weighting means and deflected thereby.

4. A top roll weighting indicator for spinning frames having top rolls, weighting means therefor, and bottom rolls, comprising in combination a shaft, rollers rotatably mounted thereon in spaced relation for engagement with a bottom roll, indicating means mounted on the shaft, and means vaotua-ting the indicating means in response to deflection of the shaft when the latter is subjected to the load of the weighting means and deflected thereby.

5. A top roll weghtng indicat'or for spinning frames having top rolls, weighting means therefor, and bottom rolls, comprising a shaft, spaced rol'lers -rotatably mounted on the shaft to -rest on a bottom roll, a hub on the shaft for engagement by the weighting means, ya gage on the shaft, and an arm on the hub for actuating the gage in response to defiection of the shaft When the hub is loaded by the weighting means.

6. In a spinning frame having -top rolls, weighting means for the top -rolls including a saddle, and bottom rolls, in combination, -roller's to rest on a bottom roll after the top roll cooperating therewith has been removed, a shaft connecting the rol'lers, 'a hub on the shaft to be engaged `and weighted by the saddle, an arm fixed on the hub, and a gage carried by the shaft, actuated by the arm, and indicating the deflection of the shaft in terms of pounds when the hub -is weighted -by the saddle.

7. A test -roll for determining the weighting of spinm'ng frame ltop rolls having in combination a shaf't, spaced rollers thereon supporting the shaft, an arm on the shaft between the rollers, an Iarm on the shaft beyond the rollers, and an indicator mounted on one of such arms showing the amount of -relative movement of the two arms when the shaft is bent under a load.

8. In a spinning frame having bottom rolls, top rol-ls, and guiding and weighting means for the top rolls including a saddle vand cap bars, in combination, spaced rollers, a shaft connecting the rollers, indicating means carried by the shaft showing the lamount of deflection of the shaft When loaded by the saddle and with the Iollers supported by a bottom roll, and members on the endportions 'of the shaft to engage in the cap bars.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,319,Z99 Converse May 18, 1943 2,382,289 Burt Aug. 14, 1945 2,774,1l4 Gonay Dec. 18, 1956 2,884,664 Solanas May 5, 1959 

